Is spelling important?

1. 61

   LaViejaposted 14 years ago

   Does bad spelling bother you? Would it put you off reading the text if a lot of the words were spelt incorrectly?

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      EmpressFelicityposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes. Yes.

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      Hokeyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      yes

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      Sally's Troveposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes. Poor spelling is a death sentence for a piece of writing. It makes the reader work too hard to understand the message. It's the writer who needs to do the work.

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         camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Sherri, I was just thinking of you; probably one of the best writers on HubPages.

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            Sally's Troveposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Camlo, I've been admiring your participation in this thread. You've touched on many important points about being a responsible and thus effective writer.
            
            Some so-called writers tend to think that sloppy craftsmanship in writing is acceptable...But I wonder, do they want a carpenter who forgets a few nails that need to be there to hold up their kitchen cabinets? When those cabinets fall down, the owner pays the price, going through the effort of tracking the carpenter down, endless phone calls to fix a problem....why? The owner already paid in good faith for a job to be done well.
            
            It's as if you are a carpenter when you are a writer. When you write, you make a promise to your reader that you will deliver the goods. Granted, it's a silent contract, but a contract nonetheless.
            
            This concept of commitment to a promise is too often missed in this Internet environment where anyone can write whatever they want, with whatever poor skills they choose not to improve, and no one calls them on it.
            
            There are exceptions. For example, second-language writers struggle. Especially here at HP, where English is the only language. I admire them for putting themselves out here. For me, it would be a cold day in hell that I'd attempt to write for a Spanish or Polish language site, although I can converse in each. Most second-language writers are seeking to better their skills. It's the so-called writers who don't give a damn about how they present their words, and also justify their poor skills by saying that it doesn't matter, that are the ones I take exception to.

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               camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Hi Sherri! You know, I speak absolute fluent German, but have never attempted to do on a German site what I do on HubPages. I don't think it's the sort of place to 'practice' the language. Nevertheless, if people do, I take it into consideration whilst reading.
               As for those professional writers on HubPages; either they are liars or the world of writing is very unjust. You, and the Hubber Elena, for example, make no such claims yet write more or less perfectly.
               Well, not everyone has that kind of talent. But there's still no excuse for sloppiness or laziness. I think most of us can tell if somebody has done the best they can, and if not, we don't tend to read the Hub.

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                  Sally's Troveposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Well said, with eloquent brevity. I agree.

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      Has_aWayWithWordsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      UMMMM is it spelt or spelled that would be appropriate here?
      
      Just curious...

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         camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         But you shouldn't laugh about it

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            Has_aWayWithWordsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Why not?  I mean it is a thread about spelling and grammar, I personally don't care as long as it isn't terrible. I can let a few errors go. The ones where every sentence is broken English and the spelling is obviously more than just a few small typos are the ones that tend to make me move on to other reading.

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               camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Of course. I think that's how it is for most of us. That's why everyone should at least put some effort into their writing, even if it's not going to be 100% perfect (if they want to be read).

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         WriteAngledposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Both Chambers Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors cite "spelt" as an alternative to "spelled" for the past participle of "to spell", so LaVieja is correct in her usage of this form.

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            camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, you're right.
            I didn't actually think anything of it, until it was pointed out. Then it did actually look wrong. Strange ...

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         Sue Adamsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         spelt

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      Mikel G Robertsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Q u i p p y
      
      

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      Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, it bothers me.  Especially when I realize I'm the one who has spelled something wrong!

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2. 71

   Cagsilposted 14 years ago

   Yes, everytime.
   
   If there is poor grammar, I won't spend the time to read all of it. However, I am the type of person who will email privately to let the person know that their work is riddled with errors.
   
   

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   WriteAngledposted 14 years ago

   Yes, absolutely. In these days of spellcheckers there is absolutely no excuse.
   
   In my pre-freelance days of employment, when I had to go through CVs of people applying for jobs with us in order to draw up a shortlist for interview, I automatically binned any CV that contained a spelling error.
   
   If people cannot be bothered to take the trouble to write properly, why should I take the trouble to give them any attention?

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   goldenpathposted 14 years ago

   Whether right or wrong grammar imprints upon the mind of the reader the level of intelligence the author has.  I'm not saying anyone is stupid, it's just the preconceived notion on the part of the reader.  A mind that is tuned to correct spelling wants to receive information based on the title and content of the story.  When such a mind comes across a grammar error it sticks in there, stays and detracts the mind from the intent of the story.  Yes, grammar is very important and keep spellcheck on. 

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      poetlorraineposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      aw you are harsh aren't you....

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      Sue Adamsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I hate bad spelling too but what you say about poor spellers lacking in intelligence is incorrect. They may not be native English speakers and ignorant of spelling, that doesn't make them stupid. It is our job to correct them so they can improve. But yes, it is annoying.

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         camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Level of education rather than intelligence, maybe. But if the writer is not a native English speaker, it's a different matter.

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   Madame Xposted 14 years ago

   Yes.
   
   One one level you could say it shows a lack of respect for the reader. Everyone appreciates it when care and attention are shown to them, even in a small way (but I don't think it's small

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   tdarbyposted 14 years ago

   Spelling mistakes and poor grammer are a major turn off for me.

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      Pani Midnyte Odinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      You spelled grammar wrong, tdarby
      
      To answer the OP's question, obvious mistakes in spelling and grammar tend to make me stop taking the writer seriously after awhile.

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   mod2vintposted 14 years ago

   Yes, unless deliberate to show setting or an era.

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   Crazdwriterposted 14 years ago

   Yep bugs me but I give the person som slack because I know I'm not perfect and I know that I misspell too so have to give them a break.

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   poetlorraineposted 14 years ago

   no spell check on forums is there........ if a person was  new, i would not give them hassle about poor spelling, let them gain a bit of confidence writing first, then they can sort out spelling errors.  i do not like to see spelling errors in my own work, though it does happen.  Very tolerant of others  spelling and grammar errors though.  Why not?????
   
   

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      Sue Adamsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Why not?????
      Because it is to everybody's advantage on HubPages that the quality of hubs are as high as possible. Like so many other hubbers I often email writers with their spelling or grammar errors. If someone would send me an email correcting errors I made, I would be grateful too but it hasn't happened yet.

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         camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I'd appreciate it too, because I often don't 'see' my own mistakes. But do you think everyone would?

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            Sue Adamsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            I hope that the majority of us would.

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               camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               It would be good. But there are bound to be those who would consider us pretentious.

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    Bill Manningposted 14 years ago

    If you use firefox browser you always have spell check, it's built in to show you anytime you write anything in a form field.

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       Pani Midnyte Odinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Browsers with built in spell check include: Firefox, Opera, and Google Chrome. If using Internet Explorer, you can download a spell checker pretty easily

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          drej2522posted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Or...you could just throw up Microsoft Word, copy and paste, and correct the red squiggly line thingies!

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       poetlorraineposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       really i have firefox too, but just have never used it, silly me

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       Sue Adamsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       spell check cannot correct the most common ones like:
       
       then/than
       effect/affect
       there/their
       its/it's
       your/you're
       i.e/e.g
       
       Those really get on my nerves.

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11. 74

    WriteAngledposted 14 years ago

    I ignore the occasional error on a forum message. It's easy enough to do when typing rapidly. Anything that counts as a published piece of work is a completely different matter.
    
    Nevertheless, if someone consistently uses text-speak or their forum messages are absolutely riddled with poor grammar and spelling errors, I really do not have the inclination to wade through all the garbage in order to try to work out what they are trying to say.

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    Shadesbreathposted 14 years ago

    If we're talking about article writing, definitely.  It's pretty obvious where rare mistakes and accidents occur versus incompetence; the former only harms credibility a little, the latter warrants total dismissal.

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    Ann Nonymousposted 14 years ago

    Incorrect spelling can bother me, and can sometimes be an indicator of a more amateur writer (I speak of MYSELF) but if you can read the following then studies once again prove that we do not read every letter of each word. Enjoy and good luck!
    
    "Can olny srmat poelpe do?
    
    I Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.
    
    The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.
    
    The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
    
    Amzanig huh?
    
    Yaeh, and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorant!"

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       Madame Xposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Well, I could bathe myself using the garden hose in the back yard if I really wanted to, but why would I want to?

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       camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Truly amazing!

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       Sue Adamsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       That's amazing but would you fancy readin a whole article written like that?

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    drej2522posted 14 years ago

    clever Anonymous...but it CAN be annoying!

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       Ann Nonymousposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, I completely agree, drej!!!!  It's one thing to misspell commonly misspelled words but to misspell words like which and witch is just unnerving!!!!!

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15. 67

    Flightkeeperposted 14 years ago

    If it's just one or two errors, it's okay.  But if there's a lot, then you need to use spellcheck.

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    Website Examinerposted 14 years ago

    To be able to use spellcheck properly, you have got to have the ability to spell in the first place. Right, Write. Their, There, They're... Some people cannot distinguish, for various reasons, and for them the constant criticism must be hard.

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       camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       But most of us can learn, can't we?

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          Website Examinerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Yes, most of us can definitely. But not those who suffer from word blindness, impaired eyesight and such.

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             WriteAngledposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             I find it hard to read small print, but on a computer screen it is possible to enlarge this to a comfortable level.
             
             Otherwise, I have visual-spatial problems, so I have difficulty understanding diagrams that supposedly tell me how to fit pieces together to produce something. Therefore, I would never consider offering my services to assemble flat-pack furniture. Likewise, I do not have the capacity to be a car mechanic, computer expert, plumber, dressmaker and many other things, because I lack the basic skills and manual dexterity in such matters and therefore all the book knowledge in the world will not help me master them.
             
             By analogy, some people lack the basic skills and/or capacity to be writers. There are many other activities in which they can become expert instead.

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                Website Examinerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                I disagree. Some people who cannot spell may actually be very good writers, except you wouldn't notice because they have editors to clean things up. Others write perfectly but have little to say, who is to judge?

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                   Uninvited Writerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                   Yes, but when you do not have an editor it is up to you to be your own editor. Not everyone is perfect but you should make the effort to be as perfect as you can be.

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                      Website Examinerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                      You are right.

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             camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Of course -- that's why I say 'most of us'. And also why I don't make a personal judgement about a writer (who does not claim to be a professional writer) based on spelling and grammar. I'm reading for the information offered.

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          Madame Xposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Yeah.
          
          Why put effort into someone's writing if they won't.

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          Ann Nonymousposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Yes you can!!!! And I sleep with the dictionary under my pillow.....Not really but I wonder if it would help sometimes as some words I can NEVER remember!!!!!

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    IzzyMposted 14 years ago

    I've got Firefox. Where exactly is the spell-checker on it?

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       Bill Manningposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Let's see, click on the "tools" link at the top left.
       
       Click on "options"
       
       make sure it's in the "advanced" tab
       
       Click the box next to "check my spelling" or something like that.
       
       Now when you type in a wrong word, a red line will appear under it. Right click on it, and a list of words that firefox thinks is correct will show. Click the one you think is right and that's it.
       
       Sometimes it does not see the word right and will try to show unrelated words, but most of the time it works.

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          Bill Manningposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Ooops, once you click on the "advanced" tab, then click on the "general" tab. Then follow the rest.

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    torimariposted 14 years ago

    General grammar and spelling errors bug me. If I read a hub or writing like that I am less likely to finish the entire thing.
    
    But, even worse I think, is when an article doesn't get to the point or topic for eons. Or, it is all over the place with its theme and supporting paragraphs. It's mentally painful for me to read, hehe.

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       Madame Xposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I know what you mean. Some people like the sound of their own voice, reader be damned

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       drej2522posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I agree here...unless it's a piece of literature that is intended to 'throw you off', of course!

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    camloposted 14 years ago

    Actually, I'm never that bothered by errors of spelling or grammar unless ... somebody is claiming to be some sort of writing professional. It's incredible how many mistakes I find in Hubs by writers who do claim such a thing.

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       LaViejaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       That's actually what prompted me to ask the question. I was browsing through hubs and found some really interesting ones, but there were so many I either just couldn't finish reading because the spelling was so bad or did read and then left immediately because I was so tempted to rate it down because of the spelling. I didn't, because I am quite new here, am not quite sure what it means to rate someone down, and it wasn't that the hub was bad, just the spelling.

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    yenajeonposted 14 years ago

    Yes! Yes! There's nothing I love more than a person who can speak eloquently with proper grammar. Having a creative vocabulary is attractive as well.
    
    I bet I have lots of mistakes though on my hubs even after double checking !

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    saltposted 14 years ago

    I see it as something to tell the writer about, and I should do so via the contact button. of maybe we could make an ongoing post in forums ... as you dont really want comments that sit there telling you your spelling mistakes.
    
    I do appreciate it though if anyone tells me mine. For some people too, english is their second language and its great to see them write so well when you can see they are still learning.
    
    Thankyou Mr Manning for that, much appreciated.

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       camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, I agree on both points.
       I don't think my grammar and spelling are too bad, but I notice some of my (embarrassing) mistakes weeks after publishing. It can happen to anybody.
       As somebody here said before, it's important just to do the best we possibly can, even if we're not all world-class writers.

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    waynetposted 14 years ago

    Only if you know how to cast spells!

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    Uninvited Writerposted 14 years ago

    I would welcome emails on my spelling and grammatical errors. I usually find them myself (after the hub has been published) but I'm sure I miss others.  I have a bad habit of letting Canadian spelling creep in (thanks to my spell check in Word which changes it without me noticing). I know it's not wrong but sometimes I have a combination of US and Canadian spelling in the one article.

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       camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, I tend to confuse US and British spelling ...

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    alexandriaruthkposted 14 years ago

    vee--eery vee--eery important LOL

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       Website Examinerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       It is important, matter of fact. Like your profile page, where you write "I want the world a better  place for our chidren." Double spacing between words, grammatical problems, and one typo, and that is your opening statement.

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          camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Saw that too. And there are a couple of other errors.
          
          Sorry ...

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    Ann Nonymousposted 14 years ago

    Spelling should be important otherwise there would be no need for dictionaries and spell checkers...However correct spelling is NOT an essential qualification in places such as facebook....
    
    “ r u 4 real? Ur comin 2morrow?”,
    
    Constitutes as two complete sentences... So you decide!

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       camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Everything has its place.

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          Ann Nonymousposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          haha...You are right Camlo...and in a way I was picking on myself...Facebook/ text messaging shorthand is wonderful at times!!!!

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             camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Oh yes. Especially in chat rooms where the writing needs to be quick. Or text messages. I do it myself.

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    NewYorkerposted 14 years ago

    Spelling's not that important unless it's like a retarded 5 year old Chinese kid wrote the text.

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       Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Was that really necessary?

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          drej2522posted 14 years agoin reply to this

          haha...It was pointless!

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       NewYorkerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Yes...

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    lovebuglenaposted 14 years ago

    Sometimes no matter how much we proofread a piece of writing there might be a few misspelled words (typos as they are called) that we might still miss. We are only human, so that is okay in my opinion, though it is best not to have any at all. However, if there is a piece of writing that has typo after typo, that is definitely a no no. It shows that the writer is careless and that actually lowers the quality of the writing. On top of that it does not send a good message to other people reading his/her work.
    
    It is always a good idea to have other people, who have not seen your piece writing before, read through it and let you know if there are any typos present. This might help spot any typos you might have missed yourself.
    
    Lena

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       camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Maybe we could have some kind of forum here, where we have the opportunity of proof-reading one another's work before publication. I don't have anyone at home who can do that for me, because they only speak German ...

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          Website Examinerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          I think after publication is better due to copyright concerns, unless people know each other. There seems to be a need for such a service, and I will be happy to participate.

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             camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             You're right. And it could encourage even more laziness, not to mention all the other complications.
             But we could indicate on our Hubs whether we'd welcome readers to mention typos etc., if spotted.
             I, for example, would never dare make an uninvited mention of errors. It would just seem too pretentious to suggest corrections on other people's Hubs, and might not even interest the particular writer anyway.

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                Website Examinerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                I am always happy to proofread any Hub or profile page upon request. To do so unsolicited is rarely welcome.

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    Brenda Durhamposted 14 years ago

    I hope y'all will allow some "poetic license".....ha
    
    I like to play on and with words sometimes when it comes to poetry, even coin new words sometimes.
    
    If the liberal agenda can do it, so can I! 

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       camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Oh, I do that too, if a word doesn't exist for what I want.

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    William F. Torpeyposted 14 years ago

    I understand that many on HubPages are trying to become good writers. For that reason I try to be understanding when I come across spelling errors. As a retired editor, I also know how difficult it can be to produce copy free of errors.
    
    The first requirement for producing error free copy is to care enough to make the effort. Most experienced editors go over their work more than once, and it's not uncommon for good editors to read their work (or that of others) three or more times -- for spelling, grammar, sentence structure, clarity and accuracy.
    
    Even after all this it is not a certainty that the work is errorless.
    
    Personally, I don't use the spell check until I am convinced the work is errorless. I do, however, consult a good dictionary or thesaurus. Now I frequently consult dictionary.com. Nevertheless, I occasionally find typos or, perhaps, I've spelled "to" when I meant to say "too."
    
    The bottom line is that the writer has to make a genuine effort to avoid errors. It's apparent that some writers on HubPages do not double check their work for errors. I would advise all aspiring writers to do so.
    
    When I come across spelling errors, or any of a variety of basic errors, I find it jarring and disruptive. If I'm interested in the subject and otherwise find the work worthwhile I'll continue reading. But, sometimes, I just give up.
    
    I still remember this very successful book: Fail-Safe (1962, a novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler.)  After reading the first chapter it was clear to me the writing was so poor that I felt it was not a worthy book to read.

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       camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       In spite of everything, as you say, there's still no guarentee the work will be error free.
       I spot more of my own mistakes if I leave the work for at least a week before re-reading and proof-reading (to distance myself from the writing). But with this dreadful compulsion to press the PUBLISH button on HubPages ... need I say more?

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    Ann Nonymousposted 14 years ago

    I think the worst case scenario is when schools repeatedly misspell your name...and you are a devoted student there!!!!!

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